Chesapeake Auto Repair

Recommended Service Intervals At West Service Center, Inc.   Most people in the Chesapeake area are aware that automotive manufacturers have recommended service intervals. Following recommended service intervals is very important. The engineers that design our vehicles have tested the various systems and components to meet durability and safety standards. Some of these standards are self-imposed and others, like those for emissions components, are government mandated for the areas around Portsmouth, Norfolk and Suffolk in Virginia. The maintenance schedules are designed to achieve the standards. Think of the benefits of following recommended intervals as falling into three general categories: Protection, Efficiency and Safety.Protection. Let’s start with motor oil. First of all, the engineers recommend a particular weight and type of motor oil for your van. All of their oil change recommend ... read more

Is Your Chesapeake Driving Severe?   People near Chesapeake Virginia often ask West Service Center, Inc. how often they should have a particular service done. It’s a great thing to ask. You can look at your owner’s manual, or have your Chesapeake Virginia service advisor at West Service Center, Inc. look up your vehicle in a service database. What you find is often a surprise to people – there are actually two service schedules. One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule. Service intervals are shorter on the severe service schedule. When asked, most folks in Chesapeake Virginia will say that their driving is normal and that the ‘regular’ schedule probably applies to them. ‘Severe service’ sounds pretty extreme – ‘I don’t drive like that’. Well, here is what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions; you can draw your own conclusions. If t ... read more

Protecting Your van From Theft In Chesapeake Virginia   Every car in Chesapeake Virginia is at risk for theft. So it’s up to us to make our cars a less appealing target and more of a challenge – hopefully sending potential thieves to look elsewhere. The National Insurance Crime Bureau recommends a layered approach to protecting vehicles: Common sense Visible and audible devices Immobilizing devices Tracking devices Let’s review each of these. First, common sense: you would be surprised how many vehicles are stolen from Chesapeake Virginia where the keys were left in the ignition with the doors unlocked. Always take your keys, and lock the doors. In fact, in some places it’s against the law to leave a vehicle unattended with the keys in the ignition. And don’t leave spare keys in the car or hide them outside – because a thief will find them. Try to park in well-lit areas that have ... read more

Tire Replacement: What Norfolk Drivers Need to Know   Looking at getting some new tires? The choices at Norfolk tire stores can be a little overwhelming. Suppose you have an SUV and are trying to decide between all season tires or some that are also rated for off-highway. Do you get off the payment on the outskirts of Norfolk more than most? If so, some additional off-road traction would be nice. Maybe the real reason for wanting those off-highway tires is that they look cool. Well there’s nothing wrong with that. If you make sure that you’ve got your functional needs covered with your selection, then you can have some fun with where you go from there. Let’s suppose you zip around Norfolk in a sporty car. You may like to run a high-performance summer tire when the weather’s good. When Virginia weather turns cold, you can put on high-performance winter tires. For the kind of driving you like to do, you want full-on performance tires. All-season ... read more

Fuel Saving Tip: Chesapeake Tune Up   Have you ever gone to Chesapeake to listen to an orchestra? The musicians take the stage early and tune their instruments. Each individual instrument must be in tune, but the critical thing is for the entire orchestra to be in tune with each other. That’s why they tune up together. Now this is no surprise; I’m going to relate the orchestra to your car. Your engine has many component systems that each need to be working properly. And the components need to be working in sync, all timed up together in order for the engine to work efficiently. We call this, (ta-da) a tune-up. When an orchestra’s out of tune you get a bad concert. When your vehicle’s out of tune you get bad performance and bad fuel economy. So check your owner’s manual for recommended tune-up intervals. Or ask your Chesapeake service advisor at West Service Center, Inc. what he thinks. &helli ... read more